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AOS2B - Courts/Parliament Relationship

Total questions: 27

Worksheet time: 20mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is the main role of parliament?

a)

Initiate and pass bills

b)

Hold royal commissions

c)

Debate issues

d)

Act as a house of review

2.

Select all that form part of a precedent:

a)

Ratio decidendi

b)

Locus standi

c)

Obiter dictum

d)

Stare decisis

e)

Bona fide

3.

What is a precedent?

a)

A legal rule that can be persuasive on other judges

b)

An example of statute law

c)

A legal decision that establishes a new principle to be followed

d)

A binding decision that all other courts must follow

4.

What is a binding precedent?

a)

The legal reasoning for a decision that must be followed by a lower court in the same jurisdiction when material facts are similar

b)

The legal reasoning for a decision that must be followed by a lower court in the same jurisdiction when material facts are the same

c)

The legal reasoning for a decision that must be followed by a lower court in a different jurisdiction when material facts are similar

d)

The legal reasoning for a decision that must be followed by a higher court in the same jurisdiction when material facts are the same

5.

How is a persuasive precedent defined?

a)

A precedent that is really convincing

b)

A precedent that is not binding but may influence a court's ruling

c)

A precedent from outside of Australia

d)

A precedent from parliament

6.

Is this a persuasive precedent?

The Victorian Supreme Court follow a precedent made by the United States Supreme Court.

a)

Yes

b)

No

7.

What case from the UK was used as a persuasive precedent in the Grant v Australian Knitting Mills case?

(a)  

8.

Grant v Australian Knitting Mills was heard in the...

a)

County Court of South Australia

b)

County Court of Victoria

c)

Federal Court of Australia

d)

High Court of Australia

9.

Which of the following are names for court made law?

a)

Statute

b)

Statutory interpretation

c)

Common law

d)

Statute law

e)

Precedent

10.

A judge may be able to avoid following an existing binding precedent if he or she can find a difference in the material facts of the case. This is known as...

a)

Reversing a precedent

b)

Overruling a precedent

c)

Distinguishing a precedent

d)

Disapproving a precedent

11.

If a judge is unhappy with a precedent but is still bound to follow it, they may...

a)

Disapprove

b)

Reverse

c)

Denounce

d)

Reject

12.

A superior court changes a previous precedent, established by a lower court, in a different and later case. This is known as (a)   a precedent.

13.

A case is taken on appeal to a higher court, the superior court changes the decision of the lower court. This is called (a)   a precedent.

14.

What are reasons for statutory interpretation?

a)

Statute is too broad/general

b)

Outdated precedent

c)

The Act doesn't cover new technology

d)

Meaning of words is ambiguous/unclear

e)

Inconsistencies with common law

15.

There are a number of reasons why the court may need to interpret ________ that _________ makes. One reason may be difficulties in forseeing how the Act will be applied in the ______, for example due to rapid changes in __________.

a)

legislation; Parliament; future; technology

b)

law; Commonwealth Parliament; future; the values of society

c)

cases; the court; past; the environment

d)

statutes; Parliament; present; the law

16.

A Latin term meaning 'by the way'.

a)

Ex post facto

b)

Obiter dictum

c)

Stare decisis

d)

Locus standi

17.
Will legislation override common law?
a)
Yes, the Commonwealth Interpretation of Common Law Act makes this clear.
b)
No, common law and statute law are distinctly different forms of law.
c)
Yes, where there is a conflict between statute law and common law, statute law will prevail.
d)
No, where statute law and common law conflict, common law will prevail.
18.
The term ‘common law’ means:
a)
the rules of law that are so common to all legal systems
b)
those laws that are commonly applied through the courts
c)
rules of law made by the judges
d)
rules of law applying throughout Western countries
19.

Which are the elements of binding precedent?

a)

Same hierarchy

b)

Same or similar facts between three cases

c)

Same or similar facts between two cases

d)

Same court

e)

The court is lower than the one where the precedent originated

20.

Select the reasons for statutory interpretation

a)

The words or phrases do not apply to situations properly

b)

The intention of the Act is not clear

c)

The Act is about a complex topic

d)

Difficulty in foreseeing possible future applications of the Act

e)

The case must come before the court

21.

Select the impact of statutory interpretation

a)

does not change the actual words

b)

changes the wording of the Act

c)

sets law for future changes in legislation

d)

adds meaning to the words to be applied in future cases and situations.

e)

the reasoning behind this interpretation sets a precedent

22.

Parliament is the supreme law-making body with the ability to make and change any law within its constitutional power.

a)

True

b)

False

23.

Parliament has the power to abrogate common law with the exception of the High Court in (a)   matters?

24.

There is a close relationship between the parliament and the courts, but parliament generally acts as the supreme law-maker.


Which of the following statements best defines the term ‘abrogate’?

a)

Where a state parliament refers one or more of its powers to the Commonwealth.

b)

Where a parliament reinforces through legislation a legal principle that has been made by a statutory authority.

c)

Where the Commonwealth refers one or more of its powers to the states.

d)

Where a parliament abolishes or cancels a law made in court by passing an Act of Parliament.

25.

The common law is developed to ensure consistency and certainty over time.


Which of the statements below best explains the term ‘stare decisis’?

a)

To stand by what has been decided; it is the basis of the doctrine of precedent.

b)

Where the High Court gives special leave for an appeal to be heard.

c)

To change the common law on appeal.

d)

To change the common law in a separate, later case.

26.

In terms of the doctrine of precedent, the binding part of a court judgment is the:

a)

stare decisis.

b)

obiter dictum.

c)

ratio decidendi.

d)

ipso facto.

27.

The court's decision in Dieng v Tarola (studded belt case) is an example of which aspect of the relationship between the courts and parliament?

a)

Abrogation

b)

Statutory Interpretation

c)

Courts influencing parliament

d)

Codification